


Rum Traube Nuss

by traumschwinge



Series: Chocolatier AU [2]
Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Backstory, Erik Has Feelings, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, M/M, Nightmares, Reunion Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 13:01:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4349777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traumschwinge/pseuds/traumschwinge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik's had plans. He's been working on them for months now, out of dreams he once had. And he's getting closer to finalize them, with meetings all set up and all he's missing is a place to start. But plans never go as imagined. A phone call is all it takes to lose focus on his goal that before had his undivided attention. But there are matters more important, even Erik can see that. Emma might laugh about him all she wants but it never really was his choice, was it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rum Traube Nuss

Erik had been home for less than half an hour, after a long day on the job he hated and ready to work on what he actually wanted to be doing with his life, when his phone rang. It wasn’t time for his weekly phone call from his mother, so he was a little irritated by the disturbance. He just hoped it wasn’t Emma calling to tell him she had to postpone their meeting to discuss his business plan. “Lehns-herr?” he snarled into the receiver as soon as he picked it up.

”Erik?” said a male, accented voice at the other end of the line.

” _Ja, was gibt’s?_ ” Erik grumbled. He was getting impatient. A check of his watch told him he’d only have about five minutes if he wanted to take a shower before heading out to see Emma. _This call better be quick,_ he thought.

”Thank fuck this is the right number.” There was a relieved sigh. English, Erik thought surprised, before he finally realized why the voice had sounded familiar from the start. He’d just not expected to hear it ever again, not even over the phone.

”Logan? What the fuck? Aren’t you in Canada pestering relatives or something?” He frowned. “This is better not an international call, I don’t have that kind of money!”

There was a brief pause, before Logan answered. “Actually, I just arrived at Tegel.”

Erik gasped.

”I came here without a plan or anything and I didn’t know who else to call,” Logan said hastily. “I know we haven’t talked properly since graduation but… Well, I just thought, you’re about the only person I could ask. I don’t know where to stay.”

”Logan,” Erik let out a long sigh, trying to convey all the complicated feelings this sudden call brought with it. “It’s been four years,” was what he finally settled for. _You didn’t even answer one of my letters,_ remained unsaid.

”Erik, please, I’m begging you. Just a night or two until I can find someplace else to stay. I promise I won’t get in the way with anything.”

There was something to Logan’s voice, pained and unfamiliar, that made Erik’s chest ache for a second. He wasn’t worried about somebody who’d left him with just a three day prior notice, he lied to himself. “Okay,” he took a deep breath. “If… if I give you my address can you come here yourself or do I have to pick you up?” He ran a hand through his hair. If he’d call Emma right away she probably wouldn’t have already left and they could reschedule. They’d need to reschedule anyway, Logan sounded nowhere near able to spend half a night alone. Fuck. Erik hated himself a little that he even noticed. He wasn’t even his ex, Erik tried to force himself to see reason. They’d been nothing more than best friends with benefits. But not even recalling their fight when Logan had told him he’d leave for Canada once they’d graduated to live with his father’s family for a bit could get him to not to care so much.

”Can you come and get me?” Logan sounded more and more miserable with each sentence.

Erik let out a sigh. He’d almost seen it coming. “I’ll be there, it just might take a bit.”

”Thank you.” The line clicked once and then went dead.

Erik leaned against the wall and thought about what the hell he was doing for a moment, before he dialed Emma’s number.

  


In the end, it took Erik almost an hour to reach the airport. Only when he’d already been in the subway had he realized he hadn’t even asked Logan where he was or how they should find each other. He figured he’d just have to ask around for public phones or where the latest flights from Canada had arrived.

He shouldn’t have worried. Logan was already waiting at the platform when he arrived. He hadn't changed much, at least not on the outside from what Erik could tell. Of course he'd grown older, but then again Erik had, too. But there was also something that felt different about him and it wasn't just due to the haunted look on his face. It took Erik a few moments to work out what was different.

Logan raised his hand for a tiny, tired wave when he spotted Erik, but otherwise gave no indication he'd spotted Erik. He just waited for Erik to walk up to him. "Silly of me to think you wouldn't notice," he said in lieu of a greeting.

Erik shook his head, as if denial could make what he felt go away. "Your bones," he croaked, throat tight all of a sudden. "What happened?" He ran his fingers down Logan's lower arm, following the bone there from elbow to wrist.

Logan turned his face away. "Can we do this later?" He sighed. "'m tired. I just..." He shook his head. His hand somehow had found its way into Erik's. "'m tired," he repeated with a sigh.

Erik nodded. He wanted to demand answers but... In six years knowing him, in two years being more than just best friends, he'd never seen him looking this raw and vulnerable. That, he'd say later, was why he didn't ask questions the entire ride home. It hadn't just been because Logan had asked him not to and he'd suddenly felt like he was seventeen again and Logan had just told him for the one and only time that he loved him.

"I don't have a couch," Erik broke the silence between them just when they were about to enter the building he lived in. "And only one bed. But don't worry, I can just sleep on the floor for one night."

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor," Logan protested weakly.

Erik let them into his small one and a half room apartment with a wave of his hand not bothering with the keys. "It's ok."

"Don't you want to ask me some questions?" Logan asked as soon as they were inside.

Erik shook his head. He had so many questions to ask that he didn't know which to ask first. However, it just didn't seem like the right time. "You're tired. We can talk tomorrow. Bathroom is over there, the other door is to the kitchen. I still have some things to take care of so I hope light doesn't bother you too much." He got it all out without a hitch, without stumbling over one of his unasked questions.

"Thanks." Logan dropped his duffle bag next to the bed. "I'm..." He hesitated, standing almost too close in front of Erik. "Is it ok if I take a shower first?"

"Suit yourself, but make it quick. I don't want the neighbors complaining." He avoided looking Logan in the eye as he said it just like he'd avoided looking at Logan all evening. "Do you want something to eat, too?"

"I'm good."

Erik wanted to snap back at him that he very obviously wasn't, that he was everything but. That however would lead to fallout he knew he couldn't deal with right now. So he just let it go. "If you change your mind, there's bread and cheese in the fridge." He took a step back, not retreating just moving toward his desk in the corner. The newspaper with the real estate listings and ads was lying open on top of it, still untouched. He really should go over it tonight. He had meant to do it with Emma but that plan hadn't worked out all that well now had it.

Erik sat down at the desk, his back turned to Logan but still keenly aware of him. Logan stood still for another moment, before he lurched over to the bathroom. Each of his movements, every single one, Erik could feel in detail, his sense for metal all zeroed in on the strange stuff coating every single one of Logan's bones. He wondered if he'd ever be not aware of him again.

He wished he could talk to anyone about this, working his own feelings out before having to face Logan again. But even if he'd have more than just a few minutes he had no idea whom to call. Emma, maybe, but they weren't that great friends and... He didn't want to deal with her if she wouldn't understand the problem right away anyway.

He tried concentrating on the ads in front of him, but half his mind stayed with Logan, feeling out his movements under the shower and then when he towelled himself dry. Halfheartedly, he circled one or two ads about small shops for sale or rent, only those which sounded at least somewhat like what he was looking for. He rubbed his eyes. Maybe he should just call it a night when Logan came back, allowing them both a full night's sleep before... Well, doing anything really.

They didn't talk when Logan came back. Erik just brushed past him to get to the bath himself, getting ready to sleep too. He returned to find Logan already in the bed, his back turned to the door. Erik could tell he wasn't sleeping but let him pretend for now.

Settling in on the floor to sleep was more difficult than Erik had thought. He had a spare pillow and a fleece blanket he used as a supplementary in winter, but the linoleum floor under him was still hard and cold and uncomfortable. He had turned off the lights with his powers, trying to sink them into all the pipes and wires around, anything to keep them from Logan, from examining his metal-coated bones and letting his mind wonder about it.

Logan had a hard time falling asleep as well, Erik could tell. It wasn't that Logan was restless in any noticeable way, he didn't move or turn or shift. It was only a little thing really. Every now and then, when Erik was just about certain Logan had finally fallen asleep, his heart would suddenly beat so hard and fast Erik could feel it very pointedly against the bones of Logan's chest, like Logan's subconscious, or even his body, wouldn't want him to fall asleep.

”Erik?” Logan whispered after the third or fourth time it’d happened. “Are you still awake?”

With a low sigh, Erik propped himself up on an elbow. “Can’t sleep?” As if he didn’t know Logan couldn’t.

”Would you…” Logan sighed. “Come here.”

”You don’t have to pay me in sex for letting you stay here,” Erik teased. He still climbed into bed next to Logan though. It was a bit narrow for two but a bit of cuddling would kill neither of them.

”Fuck you,” Logan grumbled. ”Good to know you’re still an asshole.”

”Good to know you still only tell me about your plans when you’re already acting them out,” Erik shot back. He allowed Logan to put an arm around him anyway and rested his head against his shoulder. Logan seemed to have gained quite a bit of muscle over the past four years, muscle Erik could feel very well as his hand brushed over Logan’s chest.

Logan remained quiet for a long while. “Are you still mad at me for that?” he asked. “For, you know, just walking out on you like that?”

”You could have told me sooner.” Erik gritted his teeth. It still stung thinking back to the day just after their graduation, when Logan had told him he wouldn’t even stay another week before he was off to Canada for god knew how long to visit his dad’s family. Just like that, the only friend Erik had had throughout his time at school had walked out of his life. Still… “I’m not that mad anymore.” It was only the truth. He had been too angry and hurt back then to listen, but Logan had told him he wouldn’t be gone forever. However when you were still a teenager, everything felt like it was set in stone for all eternity. Four years had felt like an eternity. But Logan had kept his promise, he was back and had called the moment he had arrived. Erik wanted to stay angry at him, but he couldn’t. He was just glad to have him back.

"I meant to write, you know? Or call even," Logan confessed. "Things over there were... Different from what I expected." He paused. "I had a hard time fitting in." He didn't sound like he actually wanted to talk about it.

"I don't really care," Erik grumbled. "Save the sob story for tomorrow. I work eight to five with projects on the side and I don't want to waste my nights listening to my ex crying when there's nothing in it for me."

Logan detached his hand from Erik's shoulder, running it down his back as far as he could. He couldn't quite reach Erik's ass, but guessing what he was up to, Erik shifted to meet him halfway. Logan's big hand squeezing his ass had him uttering a pleased sigh. "So, what was that about me not having to earn my stay?" Logan growled into Erik's ear. "You sound like you'd be more than amenable for a bit of sex."

"But aren't you too tired?" Erik sighed. Logan had started to palm his butt through the thin layer of his boxers with purpose, so there was really no reason not to swing his leg over Logan's hip to give him better access.

"Never said I was too tired for this," Logan mumbled back. "Hope you're single."

"I'd have told you if I had a boyfriend. Now less talking, more groping."

Logan huffed out a little laugh, but was happy to give in to Erik’s demands. The hand on Erik's ass started rubbing in little circles, squeezing every now and then. "You still don't like kissing all that much?" Logan murmured. His other hand slid under Erik's shirt and over his chest, pulling the shirt up as he went.

Erik leaned in to nuzzle a bit at Logan's neck. "A bit's ok," he admitted. Briefly he wondered if he'd even be able to stop kissing once they started. He'd always been reluctant about it, but mainly because he'd been afraid to think more of their relationship than it was. Now, four years older, he thought he might get away with kissing while knowing fully well that they'd never been more than friends with benefits.

That was the last time they'd speak for a long while that night. Before long, they'd kicked the blanket out of the way and helped each other strip out of their clothes. When Logan pulled him on top, Erik went eagerly, immediately grinding his growing erection against Logan's. A shuddering moan escaped Erik's throat when Logan took them both in hand, smearing precome all over their shafts, even paying attention to get Erik's prick nice and wet all over.

It was Erik who then initiated the kissing that went along with the handjob. They started out as they had as teens, sloppy and hurriedly, always afraid that their parents might hear, or worse, come into the room while they were still at it. But soon, the pace changed, both of Logan's hand and their frantic kissing. Erik tried to fight it at first, holding onto Logan as if for his dear life, kissing him back as if he'd drown once he stopped. But eventually he gave in, let Logan set a lazier pace.

It was different from what they'd always done, different as well from the irregular one night stands Erik had grown used to during his time at university. It wasn't all that bad, though, despite the sudden intimate feel to it Erik wasn't sure he even liked. Still, Logan seemed to remember exactly which buttons he had to push, when to squeeze, pull, suck.

Erik had to break the kiss eventually, his chest heaving with the need to breathe, and to a degree with longing for so much more as well. He then just leaned his forehead against Logan's shoulder and just let him finish them off, merely bucking his hips in time with the strokes, his arms trembling from the strain he put on them by resting most of his weight there.

Erik came just after an especially drawn out stroke, with what felt like a full-body moan, spurting all over Logan's chest and stomach. He could barely keep himself up after, mustering his last strength to at least hold out until Logan came as well, before collapsing onto him, uncaring for the mess he now lay in. Logan wrapped his arms around him to hold him, lazily petting his hair with one hand.

"We should clean up," Erik said eventually, his face pressed into the crook of Logan's neck. But he made no move to get up, just like Logan made no move to even let him.

"It'll be gross in the morning," Erik tried once more. Logan just held his head in place with the hand that had been petting him. "Fine, I get it," Erik grumbled. However, he didn't mind as much as he acted like. The prospect of untangling himself and getting out of bed instead of just falling asleep right where he was was entirely unappealing.

  


* * *

  


"So, let me repeat that," Emma said with a bemused smile. They were having lunch together, something Erik suspected he'd be paying for as punishment for standing her up on short notice the night before. "You called off an important meeting with me and instead of looking over suitable venues to set up a business as you should have, you went out to the airport to pick up your ex, who I know from all you told me about him was more like a best friend with benefits and who broke your precious little teenage heart. To top that off, said ex is now staying with you for the time being." She squinted at Erik, a sure tell she was rifling through his mind and would only stop if he protested it in time before she found anything jucy. "Oh my, you fucking... You slept with him?" She gasped, her shocked expression almost worth allowing her the glimpse. "Erik," she frowned. "Don't force me to be a compassionate friend. You know I hate pretending I were."

Erik shrugged. "Don't worry, that was nothing," he ensured her. "And what was I supposed to do? He has nobody else to call." The look she shot him was one he prefered not to decipher. There was much too much real worry about him in there.

She studied his face for a long moment. He did his best to ignore her, concentrating on his food. "How long is he going to stay with you?" she sighed eventually.

"Only a couple of days. A few weeks at most," Erik told her. They hadn't spoken about it but he imagined Logan would need a bit of time to get his feet under him again. He hadn't looked like he'd planned on jumping the next plane and flying across the Atlantic last night. "I can't just throw him out, can I?"

"I could," Emma shrugged his defenses off. "But I guess you're right. You couldn't." Anyone else had probably given him advice he did neither need nor want then, if only to prove how good they were at being nice. "So," she said in her back to business voice. "I went over some real estate ads anyway and I think there might be one that looks exactly like what you want..."

  


* * *

  


Two weeks later, Logan was still staying with Erik. And since it wasn't looking like he'd be earning enough to be able to afford something of his own any time soon, they'd decided to get a sofa bed so they at least wouldn't have to share the bed all the time, instead of forcing Logan to use up his savings on lodgings when he could just stay with Erik. Effectively, that just meant that both of them were sleeping on the couch more often than not, but at least it was wide enough for two.

It was one of those rare nights, when Erik was actually sleeping alone and in his own bed, that he was startled awake. It took him a few confused seconds to find out what had woken him. There hadn't been any noises nor change in lighting. At the first glance, nothing had changed.

Nothing but Logan sitting up on the couch, clutching his head and shaking. Him waking up and moving must have been what had woken Erik. It was a decision of a second, but Erik was up and across the room by Logan's side before he could overthink it.

Logan growled when he noticed Erik approach him. It was a low, feral growl that had Erik pause in his step, hackles raised and the hand he’d meant to touch Logan with frozen mid-movement. Erik felt the next movement in Logan’s bones before he even showed any signs of what was about to come. It were those few moments that saved Erik, with a quick step back and a panicked grab of his powers, from getting closely acquainted with Logan's claws.

Logan wasn't really seeing him, Erik realized once he got a look of his face. Where ever he thought he was, it wasn't in the tiny one and a half room apartment. Whoever he thought in front of him, it wasn't Erik. Or Erik at least hoped so. He couldn’t think of a reason why Logan would attack him like that. If his incoherent snarls were any indication, Logan was seeing somebody in front of him he hoped to see dead.

"Logan," Erik tried to get through to him. "Logan, everything's alright, you're safe here, nobody will hurt you." He held up his hands to show he was no threat but clearly that was a mistake. Logan lunged himself at him without any prior warning. This time, Erik had even less time to react, leaving him just barely within Logan’s reach. His extended claws grazed Erik's cheek, deflected just enough by Erik's own gift to save him from worse injuries. "Logan, please!" Erik cried, one last time.

Logan still didn't react to his pleading. He turned around, ready to strike again. Erik clenched his teeth. He didn't want to do this to his friend, but he might not have any other choice. He could run, but that didn’t seem like a very viable plan. So he grabbed onto Logan's bones, already filling most of Erik's awareness anyway, and used them to push Logan onto the ground and keep him there. Logan snarled and struggled, but he didn't stand a chance against the grip Erik had on his entire skeleton.

Erik was breathing heavily, both from the exertion and the adrenaline in his system, standing over Logan and wondering just what the hell he was supposed to do now. He dropped to his knees next to Logan, touching his shoulder with shaking fingers. "Logan," Erik whispered again. Even to his own ears, filled with the deafening rush of blood, he sounded panicked. "Calm down, please!" He raised his hand to Logan's cheek, gently stroking him. "Please, just wake up, please, Logan." It wasn't quite a sob, but close. The entire struggle had only lasted a few moments, not enough for Erik to be terrified by it. But it was now catching up to him, closing his throat and causing his hands to shake even worse.

Logan's struggle against his hold creased eventually, before it died down entirely. Erik was still stroking his cheek, unsure what else to do. He didn't even notice at first when Logan looked at him. Really looked at him. "Erik?" Logan croaked. He turned his head as far as he could, leaning into Erik's hand. "What's wrong?"

Erik waited only one more moment to make sure Logan wasn't trying to turn him to schaschlik anymore, before he released his hold. "I don't know," he said, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"I..." Logan shook his head. "Yeah, I think that was it." His eyes raked over Erik's face, before he avoided his gaze again. "Was that," he tipped the side of his face. He swallowed. "Was that me?"

Erik pressed his lips together. "It's nothing," he murmured.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Erik allowed Logan to pull him into an embrace and hold him, happy to have somebody to hold onto until they’d both calmed down.

"I think I owe you an explanation," Logan started after a while.

"You damn well do," Erik gave back. He tried to go for angry, but his voice wouldn't go past a meek whisper.

"When I was over in Canada," Logan told him. "Things didn't go as well as I hoped. Getting a job wasn't all that easy, my brother is a jackass, I was fighting more and more with everyone just because I didn't want to stay anymore. So when I was offered a well-paid job by some guy who said he served with my dad, I agreed." He snorted. "Should have thought twice about why they were offering that sort of money to a kid with no experience and a foreign high school degree. Started out nice though. Just some fitness tests and basic training. But then they got more and more excited about my healing factor. Should have left then, at the latest. But I didn't. And then they asked me to take part in an experiment. They wanted to see if they could coat the bones of soldiers with some metal called 'Adamantium' or something. Part of some joint super soldier program, from what they told me." He paused then, briefly hugging Erik. "The experiment was horrible, I thought I was going to die. It took days for the pain to get bearable. And then, as soon as I could, I left."

It took Erik a while before he could respond. "Does it...?"

"Nightmares like tonight don't happen often," Logan reassured him. "If that's what you meant."

Erik shook his head. "No, does it still hurt?"

"Not really." Logan sighed. He closed his eyes as Erik ran his fingers along the bone of his arm. "But I can feel your powers all over my bones when you do something like this." He smiled softly.

"Do you mind?" Erik asked.

Logan shook his head. "It's the only good thing that came out of this all."

Erik leaned back against Logan with a sigh. "That's shitty," he murmured. "Is there anything I can do? Against the nightmares?"

"Wake me up," Logan sighed. "That's all I can think of. Wake me up like you did today."

"Are we going to sleep tonight?" Erik asked after a long while. His eyes were slipping closed every now and then and each time, it took him longer to open them again. 

"I wanted to try," Logan admitted, even though he still didn't let go of Erik.

"Then, can I sleep here with you?" Erik asked. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep across the room, his attention on Logan all the time, waiting for the next nightmare. It just seemed like the better option to be close where he was comfortable and could react quicker.

Logan laughed softly. "I'm not in the mood," he told Erik, shaking his head.

"It's okay," Erik murmured. "I just wanted to sleep anyway."

"Okay then." Logan let go of Erik, just long enough for them to climb on the sofa and settled for the night. Erik let him cuddle again, taking comfort in pressing himself close to Logan.

"Thank you," Logan whispered against the side of Erik's face after a while. Erik had almost dozed off by then, so he didn't react, not even when Logan rolled over him and kissed him.


End file.
